Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia

Russia: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 95.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
95.1%
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
123rd
of 209 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 1930
All-time low
3.0%
in 1820
Years of data
52
1820–2023

Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia, 1820–2023

020406080100182019212023

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia stood at 95.1%.

The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia peaked at 100.0% in 1930 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1820.

Russia ranks 123rd of 209 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia, year by year

Annual values for Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia, 1820 to 2023.
Year % Change
1820 3.0%
1825 3.1% +3.3%
1830 3.2% +4.5%
1835 3.4% +4.0%
1840 3.7% +8.6%
1845 4.0% +7.6%
1850 4.6% +15.7%
1855 5.1% +10.7%
1860 7.5% +47.2%
1865 9.7% +30.5%
1870 9.8% +0.6%
1875 11.0% +12.1%
1880 11.8% +7.7%
1885 15.8% +34.2%
1890 19.6% +23.5%
1895 38.1% +94.8%
1900 36.6% -4.0%
1905 41.7% +14.1%
1910 42.8% +2.6%
1915 43.7% +2.1%
1920 39.9% -8.7%
1925 72.0% +80.6%
1930 100.0% +38.8%
1935 100.0% +0.0%
1940 100.0% +0.0%
1945 100.0% +0.0%
1950 100.0% +0.0%
1955 87.5% -12.5%
1960 92.2% +5.3%
1965 97.0% +5.3%
1970 100.0% +3.1%
1975 96.0% -4.0%
1980 100.0% +4.1%
1994 95.4% -4.6%
1995 91.2% -4.5%
2006 94.3% +3.4%
2007 94.0% -0.3%
2008 95.5% +1.6%
2009 95.3% -0.2%
2011 95.6% +0.3%
2012 97.3% +1.8%
2013 96.9% -0.4%
2014 97.2% +0.4%
2015 98.0% +0.7%
2016 97.9% -0.0%
2017 99.6% +1.7%
2018 99.9% +0.3%
2019 99.8% -0.1%
2020 99.7% -0.1%
2021 99.7% +0.0%
2022 97.4% -2.4%
2023 95.1% -2.4%

Russia compared with similar countries

  • Russia's 95.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 98.2%, 97% of the median. (74 countries reporting)
  • Russia's 95.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.6%, 96% of the median. (51 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1895 +94.8% 19.6% 38.1%
1925 +80.6% 39.9% 72.0%
1860 +47.2% 5.1% 7.5%
1930 +38.8% 72.0% 100.0%
1885 +34.2% 11.8% 15.8%
1865 +30.5% 7.5% 9.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1820s 3.1% 3.0% 3.1% 2
1830s 3.3% 3.2% 3.4% 2
1840s 3.8% 3.7% 4.0% 2
1850s 4.8% 4.6% 5.1% 2
1860s 8.6% 7.5% 9.7% 2
1870s 10.4% 9.8% 11.0% 2
1880s 13.8% 11.8% 15.8% 2
1890s 28.8% 19.6% 38.1% 2
1900s 39.1% 36.6% 41.7% 2
1910s 43.2% 42.8% 43.7% 2
1920s 56.0% 39.9% 72.0% 2
1930s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2
1940s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2
1950s 93.8% 87.5% 100.0% 2
1960s 94.6% 92.2% 97.0% 2
1970s 98.0% 96.0% 100.0% 2
1980s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 1
1990s 93.3% 91.2% 95.4% 2
2000s 94.7% 94.0% 95.5% 4
2010s 98.0% 95.6% 99.9% 9
2020s 98.0% 95.1% 99.7% 4

Countries ranked near Russia

  1. 120 Bahrain 95.3% compare
  2. 121 Ghana 95.2% compare
  3. 122 Dominican Republic 95.1% compare
  4. 124 Grenada 95.1% compare
  5. 125 Canada 95.0% compare
  6. 126 Cayman Islands 94.8% compare

See the full ranking of 209 places →

More education data for Russia

All data for Russia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia?
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia was 95.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Russia?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1930.
What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Russia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1820.
How does Russia rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
Russia ranks 123rd out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Russia?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Russia data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Russia. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-enrollment-selected-countries/russian-federation/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children in primary school age who are in school
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
209 places, 8,478 data points, 1820–2025
Last refreshed

Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.